Sweet Thursday (2 page)

Mari Carr

doubt made him wear in order to proclaim to her former classmates that she had hit the marriage jackpot.

“It’s Judith Rossiter now. This is my husband, Stanley.”

Killian and Justin shook the man’s hand as he proceeded to inform them he was the CEO of Rossiter Technologies, despite the fact neither had asked what he did for a living.

“Well, it’s about time you two showed up for a reunion. Where were you at the five-year?” Judith demanded.

“Iraq,” Justin answered shortly. Killian gave him a sideways glance and could practically see the hair on Justin’s neck standing on end. His friend had always hated Judith and her snobby group of followers back when they were all in school together.

Judith laughed, though the sound didn’t hide her annoyance at his curt answer.

“Well, I suppose we’ll have to forgive you for missing then, won’t we? Don’t disappear too early. We’re going to do a Who’s Who announcement around ten and if I recall correctly, you both won something, didn’t you?”

Killian wanted to groan. He and his twin brother Tristan had shared the Most Athletic title their senior year. Football was the be-all, end-all at their high school.

Justin, meanwhile, was crowned Class Clown. A fact Killian still liked to give him shit about on occasion.

“Yeah, we did,” Killian answered quickly, anxious to end this private torture. Then he glanced over his shoulder at the crowded room and realized this was likely to be the first of many annoying conversations.

“Don’t forget to get your name badges. I made them myself. Scanned everyone’s pictures from the yearbook and put them on the tags. Now that we’re getting older, I thought that might help the classmates who didn’t stay in touch.”

Killian was willing to bet most of Judith’s clique had remained loyal to the area, settling down into Baltimore society. He sensed her tone was meant to imply there were some people who’d actually had the audacity to get out of the city and make something 12

Sweet Thursday

of their lives. He couldn’t imagine anything more depressing than the thought of hanging out with the same guys he’d gone to school with, talking about the same people, doing the same things.

“Come on, K. I think I see your brother and Lane.” Justin skillfully maneuvered them away from Judith and her dull husband, grabbing their nametags and leading the way into the room.

“Jesus,” Justin muttered when they were out of Judith’s earshot. “This was a bad fucking idea.”

“We’ll have a drink with Tris and Lane, grab a plate of munchies and then head out.” Killian looked at his watch. “It’s eight thirty now. With any luck we can be home in the recliners by nine fifteen.”

“Home sounds good,” Justin agreed.

Killian looked around the room and wondered how he and Justin had made it through high school to begin with. They’d been inseparable since sixth grade, when they played on the same Little League baseball team. Given the fact neither of them was particularly good in school, they’d both signed up for the Army the week before graduation. They’d done an eight-year stint in the military, serving in the same unit in Iraq, before coming home almost two years earlier to take over the construction company owned by Justin’s father. Justin had sold half the business to Killian and they’d renamed the company Porter and Collins Construction.

They were currently renting a townhouse in a quiet suburb of the city and they carpooled to work together. They shared a history, a special camaraderie he was certain he’d never find with another friend. Hell, not even with his twin brother.

Killian sighed and studied the people around him. Some of the faces were familiar, others weren’t. He could pick out the singles, who hung together in packs, as well as the married couples lingering off to the side of the dance floor, looking as bored as he felt.

He wasn’t sure why he’d been hit by a serious case of the doldrums recently. He had an easy life, if somewhat dull in its daily repetition. He loved his job and his house 13

Mari Carr

was comfortable, but lately, Killian had begun to feel as if life was passing him by while he plodded along on a treadmill, everything the same—same workdays, same weekend excursions to bars, same television shows on TV week after week. He was constantly on the prowl, but didn’t have a clue what he was looking for. Something was clearly missing, he just didn’t know what.

“So much for picking up women and getting laid,” Justin mumbled, running a hand through his thick, brown hair.

Killian laughed and shrugged. Even the pool of available ladies in town seemed to have dwindled down of late. Actually, Killian suspected it was his standards that had gone up a notch. Justin certainly wasn’t sharing the same fate there. “Yeah well, there’s always the fifteen-year reunion.”

“Don’t even joke. I’m never subjecting myself to this again.”

Their progress across the floor was impeded by several women, none of whom looked familiar to Killian. When they escaped the fourth awkward conversation, he decided even staying for one drink would take too long and he longingly glanced toward the exit. Judith must have expected some folks to escape early as she’d planted herself four feet away from it, her eyes daring anyone in the crowd to try to leave
her
party.

Justin shook his head. “Jesus, I can’t even remember who half these people are.”

“Don’t look at me. I keep getting dirty looks from the women. I’m trying to sneak peeks at their nametags, but they seem to think I’m looking at their breasts.”

Justin grinned. “That’s funny. I’m looking at their tits pretending to read the badges.”

They were laughing as they approached Tristan’s table, but Killian noticed Justin’s died rather quickly upon arrival.

“
Lily
?”

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Sweet Thursday

Killian looked up quickly at Justin’s stunned declaration and spotted her. “Lily Watterson?”

Lily, who had been talking to Tristan’s wife, Lane, glanced over at the sound her name.

“Surprise!” she said, her bright blue eyes shining with delight.

Killian stared at her, dumbfounded for a few seconds. “What the hell are you doing here? I thought you couldn’t make the reunion because you were still in California.”

“My new job started early. I’ve been in Baltimore for a couple weeks. I knew the reunion was coming up and I wanted to surprise you two.” Her voice was light, musical, her happiness at seeing them shining through. She walked around the table and they each took turns hugging her. Killian secretly sniffed her familiar floral perfume and was besieged by the good memories associated with that scent and her.

“Jesus,” he muttered when she stepped away from his friendly embrace. “You’re fucking hot.”

Lily laughed. “You’ve always had a way with words, Killian. Thanks.”

Though they’d stayed in touch with occasional emails and letters, he hadn’t laid eyes on her in a decade. She’d been cute in a plain-Jane sort of way in high school, but now she was a knockout. She’d abandoned her conservative clothes and was wearing a short black skirt showcasing long, firm legs that practically went up to her neck. She’d ditched that horrible pageboy haircut from school and her chestnut-colored hair now hung long and loose over her shoulders.

“What happened to your glasses?” he asked, kicking himself for the stupid question. He was having trouble reconciling this stunning beauty with the quiet girl who’d sat beside him in Anatomy class, dissecting all the dead animals with fervor while he jotted down the answers she gave him.

“Lasik.” Her answer was quick and easy and she didn’t seem to mind the inanity of it.

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Mari Carr

“Damn. Am I glad to see you here.” Justin stepped closer and gave her a quick peck on the cheek and Killian knew his friend was impressed by this new-and-improved Lily too. “Listen, we’re in danger of being stalked by the divorced cheerleaders all night.

We’re gonna need you to run interference if things get dicey.”

Lily patted Justin on the cheek, clearly amused by his joke. “The more things change, the more they stay the same. Haven’t you poor boys figured out how to run off the trampy girls yet?”

Justin shrugged and gave her a cocky grin. “It’s only the odd occasion when we actually
want
to run them off. Doesn’t leave a lot of time for practicing evasive maneuvers.”

“Still the same Justin Porter, I see. Leaving a trail of broken hearts in your wake.

Please tell me you haven’t let his bad-boy habits rub off on you, K.”

Justin laughed. “Think you’ve got that backwards, Lil. It was our boy Killian here who taught me all the tricks. Only reason he fools everyone is because he pretends to be a sensitive, thoughtful guy while I just call it what it is.” He started to name “it”, but Lily cut him off, placing her manicured finger against his lips almost seductively.

“Don’t say it,” she warned. “You know I hate that word.”

Justin reached up to lightly grasp her wrist and his eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Say what, Lily? Fucking?”

“That’s it,” she said. “Just for that, you’re going to have to fend off the horny cheerleaders all by yourself tonight.”

Killian tried to adjust his pants covertly at the sight of her pretend anger. She offered them both a guileless smile and Killian was pleased to see that, underneath this new sex-on-legs look, she was still the same sweet girl she’d been ten years ago. The same woman who’d sent them care packages when they were in Iraq, filled with cookies and dirty magazines. The same woman who could write the longest emails he’d ever read about the mating practices of a starfish,
and
make it interesting.

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Sweet Thursday

He grinned as she teetered a bit and he glanced down. It was obvious Lily wasn’t accustomed to high heels. She pushed her hair off her shoulder in a seductive way and he found himself amused by her antics.

Lily Watterson appeared to be trying to flirt with them.

Not that his boneheaded friend had noticed. Justin flashed him a quick glance, raising his eyebrows suggestively, and Killian fought back a groan. Justin had been taken in by the new-and-improved Lily and was no doubt plotting a way to get her into his bed.

That thought bothered Killian more than he would have expected. This was Lily.

Their
friend
Lily.

Why was she flirting…and why was she flirting with both of them?

Killian placed a hand on her arm, turning her attention back to him and trying to change the conversation to something less suggestive. “We were in the Army for eight years, sweetness. I think it’s safe to say we’ve learned how to take care of ourselves.”

Her lovely face sobered up. “I hated every single minute you were in Iraq.” She’d been a good friend in high school and one of the few people in his life he’d always wanted to see again. However, circumstances had conspired to keep them apart for a decade, though they’d made an attempt at staying in contact, usually corresponding every couple months.

“Well, as you can see,” Justin added, “we survived Iraq just fine.” Killian knew that was all his friend would say about the subject and he was sorry he’d brought it up.

Lane walked closer and joined the conversation. “I’m interested in hearing about this so-called interference. I’m trying to figure out how you helped them get away from aggressive females.”

Lily smiled again. “These two were shameless playboys in high school. Sometimes when girls became overzealous in their pursuit, they asked me to step in and save them.”

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Mari Carr

“She was our guardian angel,” Justin said, lifting her hand and kissing her knuckles dramatically. She blushed at his gesture and Killian had to fight down the barrage of emotions spiraling through him at watching his friend kiss Lily.

“Nothing so dramatic, I assure you.” Lily started to pull her hand away but Justin held tight to it. Killian could see the slightest hint of surprise and—dammit—delight on her face. “All the girls at school knew we were friends so they’d always ask me about Justin and Killian. If one of them liked a girl, I told her how awesome he was—”

Tristan leaned toward his wife. “In other words, she lied.”

They all laughed and Lily continued. “If I knew they weren’t interested, I told the girl they were horn dogs only out for one thing or that they were seeing four other girls at the same time or something equally derogatory.”

“The truth,” Tris added and Lily shook her head at his jest.

“Not really,” she said lightly as she glanced at Killian, and with those two words, he was reminded exactly how fierce a friend Lily had been to him and he wondered how he’d let her slip away. For four years, she’d been a big part of his life.

She flipped her hair again and he swallowed heavily. Regardless of her lack of experience with flirting, seeing her face, hearing her voice was firing up all kinds of inappropriate thoughts. He was relieved he’d opted for loose dress pants rather than blue jeans tonight. His erection had made an appearance and was definitely planning on sticking around for a while. He suspected it wouldn’t go away until Lily did. Then he decided to grin and bear it. There was no way he was letting her go anywhere anytime soon.

Tristan gestured to the empty seats at the table and Killian was thrilled—and slightly annoyed—when Justin stepped in to ensure Lily was seated between them. One glance at his best friend proved Justin was definitely on the prowl and Killian tried to decide how to feel about that.

“Still no husband, right?” Justin asked, glancing around.

Lily shook her head and giggled.

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Sweet Thursday

“Fiancé? Jealous boyfriend? I mean we’re all still single here, right?”

Killian rolled his eyes at Justin’s straightforward, tenacious style. That was Justin. If he wanted to know the answer, he simply asked the question.

Lily grinned. “Still single. It’s just little old me attending the ten-year reunion on my own. Pretty pathetic, huh?”

Justin shook his head but before he could reply, Lily shrugged. “Of course, given the fact I attended homecoming and prom alone, it wasn’t likely anyone would notice my lone status here with any real surprise.”